- 12
Ingredients
- 8 lbs. beef short ribs
- Salt
- 3/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 2 anchovies
- 2 whole cloves
- 8 black peppercorns
- 8 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 C. red-wine vinegar
- 1 bottle red wine, reduced to 3/4 cup
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Preparation
Step 1
Two days before serving, season the short ribs generously with salt. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, heat oven to 275 degrees F.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1/4 C. of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs, and cook until browned. Transfer to a large platter, and reserve. Pour out the fat, and add the remaining 1/2 C. of oil, the carrot and the celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, then add the anchovies, cloves and peppercorns. Cook a few minutes more, then add the onions and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the vinegar and the reduced red wine. Stir to combine, and remove from heat.
Place the browned short ribs in a braising or roasting pot, and pour the sauce over them. Add the rosemary sprigs. Cover the pot with its lid, and bake in oven until the meat is soft and yielding to the touch, not firm and springy, 2 1/2 to 4 hours.
Cool in the sauce, and skim off the fat that accumulates on the surface. Remove the rosemary sprigs.
The short ribs are now ready to serve, but are even better if refrigerated overnight in the sauce and reheated the next day.
To reheat, remove the short ribs from the sauce, place them in a roasting pan, and roast in a 400 F to 450 degree F oven until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Heat the sauce separately. Use it to moisten the browned meat. Serve immediately with sauce and onions spooned around.
Notes: The surplus sauce can be used on pasta and topped with grated dry Pecorino cheese. The leftover meat keeps well in the freezer.